Another fantastic story, thanks, I laughed out loud at least twice.
But thinking about it, your Dad wrote a perfect short story. I think it's exactly the right length with an amazing last sentence. Perhaps he couldn't continue because the story was at its natural conclusion?
Writing one drop dead killer story is a great achievement. Many writers strive for that their whole lives.
Excellent. Solitude & loneliness--that passage drove me back to Dylan Thomas's poem that starts, "In my craft or sullen art," in which, I've been told, "sullen" doesn't mean morose or ill-humored, but "lone," the essential solitude of the writer or artist. "Exercised in the still night / When only the moon rages." And the lovers lying together with their griefs. Some poem. In my volume, it follows "Fern Hill," which I had my first daughter read to me when she was about ten--Kim has always been a reader, as is Jennifer (Jon not so much). It was somehow striking to hear that poem read in a child's voice. Well, I do go on. I'll bet you won't write that novel . . .
My father was also kind, funny, and unknowable. I think the funny part masked a lot that he was reluctant to share. Thanks for this great essay. I would love to read your completion of your father's book.
Good piece! For some reason, reading this, I was envisioning a graphic novel. What about hiring a graphic artist to do it? Just a thought. I was "seeing" this as a graphic novel. Maybe because I am reading all the banned books from 2022, and the first one listed is a graphic memoir titled Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
I think my father was, indeed, unknowable on an emotional level. He was a kind and funny man with tremendous amounts of pain. But he never talked about any of it.
Dad's writing wasn't too much of a secret. He wrote a play that was preformed at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in the early 70s. It got a little tiny blurb in Time Magazine. He was a member of The Company Theater around that time. Also on Los Angeles.
He was also a big fan of yours. We started reading you in the late 90s early aughts. Big fans.
However you choose to finalize this, Sherman, what I appreciate most is your frame and what you bring into. Maybe that’s what writing is all about—the rearrangement of random moments to explain what the heck is going on.
Mmmm....! I'll read this novel.
Another fantastic story, thanks, I laughed out loud at least twice.
But thinking about it, your Dad wrote a perfect short story. I think it's exactly the right length with an amazing last sentence. Perhaps he couldn't continue because the story was at its natural conclusion?
Writing one drop dead killer story is a great achievement. Many writers strive for that their whole lives.
Thank you.
I will read this.
A nice piece of writing. So much said so efficiently
Thank you.
This is powerful stuff just as it is now. No need to expand it unless you're driven to continue their (and your) journey.
I don't know what I'll do with it.
Excellent. Solitude & loneliness--that passage drove me back to Dylan Thomas's poem that starts, "In my craft or sullen art," in which, I've been told, "sullen" doesn't mean morose or ill-humored, but "lone," the essential solitude of the writer or artist. "Exercised in the still night / When only the moon rages." And the lovers lying together with their griefs. Some poem. In my volume, it follows "Fern Hill," which I had my first daughter read to me when she was about ten--Kim has always been a reader, as is Jennifer (Jon not so much). It was somehow striking to hear that poem read in a child's voice. Well, I do go on. I'll bet you won't write that novel . . .
Oh, I just listened to Thomas reading it on the BBC!
https://youtu.be/Tiw3uOT2eUc
Check out Maia...?
Oh, the book. I have read it. I read eveything.
Maia?
My father was also kind, funny, and unknowable. I think the funny part masked a lot that he was reluctant to share. Thanks for this great essay. I would love to read your completion of your father's book.
Thank you, Carol
Good piece! For some reason, reading this, I was envisioning a graphic novel. What about hiring a graphic artist to do it? Just a thought. I was "seeing" this as a graphic novel. Maybe because I am reading all the banned books from 2022, and the first one listed is a graphic memoir titled Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.
Hmmmm. that's a cool idea.
I wish my father had left behind writing. I think I might have gotten to know him better as a person rather than just as a father.
I think my father was, indeed, unknowable on an emotional level. He was a kind and funny man with tremendous amounts of pain. But he never talked about any of it.
My dad had a couple of unfinished plays/movie scripts. I'm not sure what happened to them.
Wow. I wonder how common it is to have fathers who are secret writers.
Dad's writing wasn't too much of a secret. He wrote a play that was preformed at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles in the early 70s. It got a little tiny blurb in Time Magazine. He was a member of The Company Theater around that time. Also on Los Angeles.
He was also a big fan of yours. We started reading you in the late 90s early aughts. Big fans.
It will be a fine novel, and if as hilarious as heartbreaking, maybe the ultimate novel. Can’t wait. Thank you, Shermans two.
Thank you, Kerry
However you choose to finalize this, Sherman, what I appreciate most is your frame and what you bring into. Maybe that’s what writing is all about—the rearrangement of random moments to explain what the heck is going on.
Thanks!
I would read that novel and don't need to read the other commenters to see if i'm alone....lol.
Hahahaha! You're not alone, as you suspected!
Hope you do this dual novel Sherman. Just great stuff and it had me good.
Thank you, Rick.
I love the line about the difference between solitude and loneliness. Just one of the gems in that treasure box. I'd absolutely read that novel.
Thank you, Darrow.